WestConn's 'As You Like It' rollicking fun

, having apparently taken a cross-campus poll, has generously included student fantasies in his busy, sprawling interpretation of the Bard's forest-set story of rebels, runaways and romance.

He and his inventive, if perhaps far out creative team, have devised and designed so many tricks and trappings for this production you'll wonder if they have any ideas left for the next show.

Among the diversions: a no-holds barred World Wrestling Entertainment-style match with the ring in the middle of the audience; leprechauns meant to be trees tapping away Busby Berkley style; burlesque humor so low as to alert the campus police; and a lingerie clad ensemble dancing the finale. Oh, yes, then there's that amusing script by Shakespeare that surfaces from time to time.

The Bard has long since stopped turning over in his grave because of alterations to his work - something about self confidence I suppose.

At any rate, embodied in beguiling performances by Colleen DiTarando as Rosalind and Shawn Turner as Orlando, the frisky romantic humor of "As You Like It" shines through the razzle-dazzle.

Both performances are filled with the urgency of young love tempered by naiveté. DiTarando handles her lengthy role with ease and gives the love-lesson scenes with Turner the proper mix of fun and sexual provocation.

Turner is engaging as the boy-turning-into-man and deserves some sort of special award (as well as Percocet for his grueling work in the wrestling match. Jerrial Young also earns a hand and medication for his part in the body-slamming brawl.

As the light and dark comics of the piece, Touchstone (
Matt Grills
) and Jacques (
Chris Vater
) have different stage battles to fight.

Grills often has to resort to manic delivery to keep afloat in the stage business around him. He's likely to add sheep to W.C. Fields' list of those to avoid acting with. Fields only singled out dogs and children. In the midst of his big second act scene, Grills is upstaged (up-pastured?) by a flock of actors in white woolly outfits.

Vater, on the other hand, has the always thankless job of making the gloomy Jacques lovable in spite of himself. The actor delivers the "All the world's a stage" speech with restraint and passion, but like Malvolio in "Twelfth Night," his character is someone we hate to see go at the end.

Peopling the darker side of this Technicolor extravaganza are Sean Duggan Josephs as Duke Frederick, the royal troublemaker, and James Coscina as Oliver, the bad brother to Orlando. Both actors convey the necessary meanness to make the story's conflict believable.

Director Trapani has replaced the character of Duke Senior, the "good" banished father of Rosalind, with Lady Senior, the girl's mother. The part is played by
Stephanie Caprio
with a regal enough portrait to make the change go almost unnoticed. It does, however, eliminate the parallels between the two sets of brothers, Duke Frederick and Duke Senior and Orlando and Oliver.

The action takes place not only on stage, but in the aisles, the wrestling ring and is occasionally projected on large screens on the theater's walls.

Liz Popiel's set, both enchanted and somehow erotic, seems inspired by both Walt Disney Productions and the shadowy world of the Brothers Grimm.

The tons of costumes by
Robin McGee
, all colorfully rendered, tend to bustles for the ladies and traditional Shakespearean garb for most of the men. McGee gets giddy with the psychedelic outfits for Touchstone and overly rustic (straw stuck jeans and checkerboard patterns) for the country folk. Country wench, Audrey (
Drea Jiminez
) with braids, and snaggled teeth, looks like a refugee from Dogpatch, not the country I suspect the playwright envisioned as her home.

The choreography by
Jared Andrew Brown
is most fun when the chorus is tapping in unison to "42nd Street." A pep rally number to introduce the wrestling match is unfortunately just loud and ultimately distracting.

A special word of praise is due to composers
Peter Tamaro
and
Jay Stollman
for the ballads and background music woven into this classic, which in this bustling interpretation will likely please the entire family - a brief plot synopsis review for the youngest is always recommended.

WestConn's constantly evolving production reminded me of that old saying about New England weather. If you don't like it, wait five minutes, it'll change.

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"As You Like It" plays tonight, tomorrow night and next Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. at the
Berkshire Theatre
, midtown campus of WestConn, 181 White Street, Danbury. Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors, children and non-WestConn students. WestConn students admitted free with valid ID. For tickets, call the box office at (203) 837-8732 or visit
www.tickets.com
.